We just spent about 2 weeks at the Breakwater Caravan Park in Port Macquarie. It was packed for most of the time. The night before we left a caravan came in about 9:00pm when it was dark. It proceeded to park in the site next to ours. While it was backing it smashed the front of its car into the A frame of the caravan opposite ours moving the caravan several inches. Then it backed up into its spot but went too far back and smashed the tyre on the back of its caravan into the covered bike rack on the caravan on the spot behind its spot. I couldn't tell how much damage was done to the bicycles. Maybe the guy was tired after driving all day but I think he should have taken a lot more care in the crowded caravan park.
I also noticed a few campers who were so fastidious in their positioning that they took about half an hour just to position the camper in the correct spot. They drove backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, about 10 times each! One even recoupled the car to the camper to reposition it after fussing around for 15 minutes. It then took each camper about an hour to set up. Did these campers take too much care in parking their campers?
Learn to reverse in most cases and learn to use your mirrors . We have two cheap walky talky . An observer helps to keep an eye on distance from hitting things ,keep or warn public . Mind you they need to stand where they can be seen by driver also .
We just spent about 2 weeks at the Breakwater Caravan Park in Port Macquarie. It was packed for most of the time. The night before we left a caravan came in about 9:00pm when it was dark. It proceeded to park in the site next to ours. While it was backing it smashed the front of its car into the A frame of the caravan opposite ours moving the caravan several inches. Then it backed up into its spot but went too far back and smashed the tyre on the back of its caravan into the covered bike rack on the caravan on the spot behind its spot. I couldn't tell how much damage was done to the bicycles. Maybe the guy was tired after driving all day but I think he should have taken a lot more care in the crowded caravan park.
I also noticed a few campers who were so fastidious in their positioning that they took about half an hour just to position the camper in the correct spot. They drove backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, about 10 times each! One even recoupled the car to the camper to reposition it after fussing around for 15 minutes. It then took each camper about an hour to set up. Did these campers take too much care in parking their campers?
Same park a few months ago, a quite new Ranger drove into the post opposite holding the site tap, bending it over and the concrete slab raised up and did quite a bit of damage
to the front of his car. Don't know how he didn't see it, day time. He later moved to a site opposite us I presume not wanting to take the blame. Someone else reported it, he didn't. later it was fixed.
One problem with this holiday park is that it has very deep open drains down both sides of all the roads in the park, as well as high speed humps, so you sometimes have to give quite a bit of acceleration to get your wheels out of the drain while backing your caravan.
From what I have seen both on roads and in van parks there are just too many drivers who do not have the necessary skills to be handling any articulated vehicle.
So many lack proper training and worse still, many really believe that they dont need training or even advice.
I dont help anyone anymore due to being told to mind my own business even when they clearly are in trouble and hot and bothered.
The stress they put on themselves just goes to make it worse.
So many lack proper training and worse still, many really believe that they dont need training or even advice.
For a few years I worked on the first floor overlooking a shopping main street parking zone. My desk looked out the window.
I never saw a caravan reverse park, but 50% of people can't reverse park a car, with far more than an adequate parking space. With often 2 spaces or even 3 spaces!
Often I & the other workers couldn't bare to watch as the attempted parking was that appalling.
I see it in our street all the time if I am working in the garage. They simply have zero understanding of reverse!
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Afraid I am one of the back and forth reversers! I also stop and get out the car to check exactly what to do next.
My problem is that we only do three or four trips a year, so I just don't get enough practice. Next to sliced bread, drive through sites are the best thing.
But I can say in the 15 years, 59 trips covering 54,551-kilometres (I keep a log/diary) I have never hit anything while reversing.
By the way, I often tell other back and forth drivers that they will never break my record!
Coming back from the National Caravan Rally in 2019 we stopped at a caravan park in Mildura. I just could not get into the quite wide site no matter how hard I tried, the problem being that there were four rubbish bins in front that stopped me from getting a decent swing. A lady in the van along side asked if wanted help - as I am not too proud I hopped out and said help your self. She promptly reversed back in one go! I bought her a box of chocolates in appreciation.
Next morning I couldn't get out due to the said rubbish bins - after looking at them found that were just sitting there so all I had to do was move them out of the way! I had thought that they were in a pad. Proof that tiredness dulls your thinking and reasoning.
I mainly travel by myself so I belong to the back and forth, get out and have a look brigade. I usually find that someone will come over and offer assistance but if not, well I am more than happy to provide free entertainment. It makes me happy to know that there are people watching me who previously thought they were the worst reversers in the history of caravanning before they saw me in action.
Like anything, it works out alright in the end, even if it takes a while. Funnily enough, I never had any problem backing small box trailers or a sailing dinghy on a boat trailer. It was easy as you turned around and looked over the back seat to reverse and the steering just became automatic.
-- Edited by DMaxer on Tuesday 23rd of February 2021 05:44:26 PM
One problem with this holiday park is that it has very deep open drains down both sides of all the roads in the park, as well as high speed humps, so you sometimes have to give quite a bit of acceleration to get your wheels out of the drain while backing your caravan.
The roads in general inside this park have never been up to standard, need of repair etc, the gutters you mention very deep.
I have been there in heavy rain and understand why but they are terrible to travel over.
They did the Admin up but don't do much for the van sites.
Where I am in N E VIC they are mainly drive through sites. Two days ago a couple arrived as I was outside. The passenger got out then the driver came into site and stopped, moved forward off site then reversed back. He did that three times then he decided to drive off and around park to approach same site again. Again, forward and backward three times. He got out abused his wife then said "stuff it". Levelled, van off car, out with awning, table, chairs and weber, nice matt on concrete pad. Cooked dinner on weber sat outside eating then chatting. In van for the night. Next morning packed everything up and gone. After another mouth full if abuse at his wife.
I often wonder why they don't just stay home.
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KJB - I thought parking visitors vans for them only happened in the movies! Specifically, the movie 'The Long Long Trailer' with Lucille Ball and Desi Arness.
In it they pull up at the entrance, the manager tells them to go into office while he takes care of everything - power, water, drainage all connected. And also they had a nice garden alongside.
Yes Murray there is at Tuncurry near Forster in the park off Punt Road. You drive to your site then a tractor called The Marriage Saver turns up with a tow ball on the front. Your van is then pushed onto the site. When leaving the same thing occurs. One of the reasons besides saving arguments is that it prevents the grass being torn up by crook reversing and wheel drag. It's great.
Yes Murray there is at Tuncurry near Forster in the park off Punt Road. You drive to your site then a tractor called The Marriage Saver turns up with a tow ball on the front. Your van is then pushed onto the site. When leaving the same thing occurs. One of the reasons besides saving arguments is that it prevents the grass being torn up by crook reversing and wheel drag. It's great.
I recall a similar experience at The Entrance, NSW. There was even a narrow 'access road' along the breakwall that allowed the vans to be parked with the A frames almost on the water.
BTW I am rather fastidious about how I park up, even mucking about to put the rig an inch or so closer to the slab or whatever. Over the course of 20 years or so I have managed to hit most things except other vans or vehicles. Always with extenuating circumstances of course. ie 'Not my fault"!
Basically I'm a bit "she'll be right" with many things that I see as not being that important (much to the displeasure of SHMBO who is rather more fastidious), but getting the van right on the site means I'm with Cupie - it must look right. Put it where I think, hop out, have a look - no it could be better. Backwards & forwards again. Maybe I've heard too many stories about other vanners critiquing the parking attempts of others. Maybe I don't want to be seen as inadequate by others, or maybe just having the thing not look right just annoys me. Maybe I'm just strange.
I have one fav. spot, for my caravan that is a zigzag reverse to get in, quite tight, using all three mirrors, I get it in. in one go. Have only done it 5 previous times on the five previous camps there. I am a former truckie, with a previous QLD road train license. But I have a nuisance box trailer, that can be a pain, as it has a short A frame, and it's center of gravity is close to the rear, so it wants to dog leg all the time, My B.inLaw, whom has more truck experience then me, thinks that my box trailer should be cut up and buried in a deep hole never to be found again. I also believe it is evil..
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 24th of February 2021 06:29:05 PM
-- Edited by Bicyclecamper on Wednesday 24th of February 2021 06:39:42 PM
Yes Murray there is at Tuncurry near Forster in the park off Punt Road. You drive to your site then a tractor called The Marriage Saver turns up with a tow ball on the front. Your van is then pushed onto the site. When leaving the same thing occurs. One of the reasons besides saving arguments is that it prevents the grass being torn up by crook reversing and wheel drag. It's great.
Lake Placid Caravan Park in Cairns will park your van with their little tractor for you if you wish.
